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Ukraine updates: Russia hosts BRICS summit in Kazan
Published 4 hours agoPublished 4 hours agolast updated 1 hour agolast updated 1 hour ago
Russia invited dozens of world leaders, along with UN chief Guterres, to an expanded BRICS+ summit in a bid to show that Moscow is not isolated internationally over its war in Ukraine. DW has the latest.
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An image of the flags of BRICS members in Kazan, Russia on display at the site of the summit. Picture taken on October 19, 2024. The summit runs from October 22-24.
The BRICS group was recently expanded to add several new countries: Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi ArabiaImage: Maxim Platonov/SNA/IMAGO
Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
Russia hosts expanded BRICS summit in Kazan with leaders including Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to attend
India’s Modi says visit this week will seek to build on partnership with Russia agreed during July trip to Moscow
Ukraine has criticized reports that UN chief Guterres would attend after he declined Kyiv’s invitation to a June peace summit in Switzerland
Here’s what to know about Russia’s war in Ukraine on October 22:
Skip next section Xi departs for BRICS summit as China reaffirms position on Ukraine
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Xi departs for BRICS summit as China reaffirms position on Ukraine
Chinese President Xi Jinping was on his way on Tuesday to the BRICS summit in Russia’s Kazan, state news agency Xinhua reported.
The Chinese leader is expected to individually meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, at the summit.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing on Monday that this year’s summit would focus on the expanded BRICS.
Xi and Putin are close allies. China and Russia described their ties as having “no limits,” shortly before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Western leaders have urged Xi to use his influence on the Russian president to end the war in Ukraine.
On Monday, Lin reiterated China’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. We hope that all parties will work for de-escalation and be committed to political settlement,” he said.
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Skip next section India’s Modi says he’s en route to Kazan, seeking to build on Russia ties
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India’s Modi says he’s en route to Kazan, seeking to build on Russia ties
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said early on Tuesday that he had departed for the BRICS summit in Russia’s southwestern city of Kazan.
“India attaches immense importance to BRICS, and I look forward to extensive discussions on a wide range of subjects. I also look forward to meeting various leaders there,” he said.
In a slightly longer press release, Modi also made reference to his visit to Moscow in July this year and said he hoped to further deepen bilateral ties.
“Building upon the Annual Summit held in July 2024 in Moscow, my visit to Kazan will further reinforce the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia,” the statement from Modi said.
Modi also visited Kyiv in late August. In both countries he expressed a willingness to help broker any potential negotiations or efforts to stop the conflict.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, India has maintained economic ties with Moscow, and began purchasing more Russian oil at a discount after Western sanctions closed off other markets.
Despite accusations of funding Putin’s war machine, New Delhi justified the increase in oil purchases by citing India’s traditional “stable and friendly” ties with Moscow.
India has maintained a neutral position on the Ukraine war, and has not condemned Russia’s invasion outright, while trying to balance strong ties with Ukraine’s allies in the West.
During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in August, Modi stressed that his government championed respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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Skip next section Ukraine criticizes UN’s Guterres for potential BRICS attendance
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Ukraine criticizes UN’s Guterres for potential BRICS attendance
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his reported plans to attend the talks in Kazan, after he had skipped Kyiv’s summit seeking a way to end the war with Russia.
“The UN Secretary General declined Ukraine’s invitation to the first global peace summit in Switzerland,” Kyiv’s Foreign Ministry wrote online.
“He did, however, accept the invitation to Kazan from war criminal Putin. This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace. It only damages the UN’s reputation.”
However, it’s not entirely clear whether Guterres will attend in Kazan this week.
Russian officials said earlier this month that the UN chief had told Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that he would be in Kazan.
But deputy UN spokesman Farham Haq told reporters on Monday that Guterres’ future travel plans were not yet set.
Ukraine’s “peace summit” in Switzerland in June involved representatives of dozens of countries, but perhaps crucially, none from Russia. Moscow denounced it as meaningless.
Ukrainian president presents plan to end war with Russia
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Skip next section Russia hosts expanded BRICS+ summit in Kazan
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Russia hosts expanded BRICS+ summit in Kazan
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government has invited two dozen world leaders to Kazan for a summit of the recently expanded BRICS grouping starting this Tuesday and lasting three days.
Russia’s major international partners like Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are scheduled to join the summit.
The acronym BRICS stands for the five countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, an grouping of emerging economies that is fashioned as an alternative to the Western-led economic order seen in groupings like the G7.
The group decided at its 2023 summit to try to expand its ranks.
Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were all invited to join, although Argentine President Javier Milei declined after winning the election, saying he wanted to take more of a pro-Western course.
The Kremlin likely hopes the meeting in Kazan will show that any political isolation of Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine doesn’t extend far past NATO’s borders.
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jsi,dvv/wmr (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
